Dear ADRA Family,

The weekend is over, and another Monday is upon us. As we have seen recently, a lot can happen in a week. Though we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, we do know that God has a plan. The global health crisis may continue, the economy may weaken, and store aisles may empty, but God is with us.

Today is the start of another non-traditional workweek at ADRA, the second week of office closures. Many of you can relate. Perhaps you are working from home in a modified office. Perhaps your children are doing homework in their bedrooms. Perhaps you are cooped up and yearning for a break from the isolation.

I am reminded of a young girl in Lebanon named Rafeef, a ten-year-old who knows what it is like to be cooped up in her home. Born with a rare genetic disorder in her spine, Rafeef cannot walk without assistance, see without glasses, or learn without specialized care. Most of her life has been spent within the walls of her small home.

Thanks to ADRA ABILITY, a project tailored to the needs of children with physical and mental handicaps, Rafeef no longer waits in loneliness and boredom for each new day. Now, she has a tutor named Ahlam who visits her several times a week.

Equipped with an iPad and additional educational resources, Ahlam provides Rafeef with access to a world beyond her lonely rooms, as well as a regular and kindhearted companion.

Sometimes, Rafeef even gets to leave her house and join other students in a classroom not far from home. These moments are little reminders that she is not alone in this world.

I know it is isolating, lonely, and often maddening to be cooped up at home, but God reminds us that this too shall pass.

I pray you find meaning and joy today, and throughout the rest of the week.

May God bless you